Blog: Dermot Cole
Palin agrees to accept most of federal stimulus money
Published Tuesday, April 28, 2009
• Gov. Sarah Palin said today she "acknowledges" legislative action to accept almost all of the federal stimulus money, but her statement did not mention whether she agrees with the action.
When I asked the governor's office for clarification, her spokeswoman said the governor has accepted $929 million of the federal stimulus money, while rejecting $28.6 million.
In mid-March, Palin identified $288 million that she did not accept. In early April, she wrote to the president to accept all of the money, but said, "It is possible that that there will be areas where the state will choose not to apply for funds."
The $28.6 million for energy conservation turned back by the state was rejected because accepting it would have required the state to adopt energy efficiency standards for buildings, the governor said.
The education funds accepted by the governor include about $13 million for the Fairbanks school district.
"I have been clear and consistent about my concerns with accepting economic stimulus funds as our nation incurs tremendous debt,” Palin says in the statement.
“As I am required to certify that stimulus dollars will create new jobs and stimulate the economy, I acknowledge the legislature’s action. And now I must make sure that, by applying for funds that they’ve resolved to accept, we do not grow government but instead put people to work and grow Alaska’s private-sector economy.”
The news release begins this way: "The Palin administration today acknowledged the state legislature’s action to accept economic stimulus funds with passage of House Bill 199, Senate Bill 75, HB81, HB113, and two legislative resolutions supporting receipt of the funds, House Joint Resolution 11 and House Concurrent Resolution 13."
The $28.6 million rejected by the governor was "tied to adopting a statewide energy code."
The money would have been divided between the Alaska Energy Authority and the Alaska Housing Finance Corp. for energy efficiency work.
The governor said that "Mandating universal energy building codes throughout our state is not in Alaskans' common or individual interests."
AHFC already requires that buildings be built to energy standards before it loans money on a project.
The federal stipulation that Palin found objectionable said that the "state or applicable local government that has authority to adopt building codes will adopt residential codes that exceed the most recently published International Energy Conservation Code or achieves equivalent/greater savings."
The governor's statement is at http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1792
I demand the right of shoddy construction!
Sarah knows best. I trust her judgement
In June, SarahPac will announce how much money it has raised. I hope it's a BLOW-OUT NUMBER. She is counting on us, her supporters, the grassroot movement to MAKE THAT HAPPEN. So, please continue to donate to SarahPac and the Alaska Fund Trust. The later has a limit of $150. VIVA SARAH !
AKReport,
Sarah Always knows best
SarahAmerica...........Thanks for your comments (Ms.Peger)
I have to wonder in publishing its monies-received report (assuming it does) will the SARAHPAC reveal how much came from individuals and how much came from corporations, lobbyists, etc. It sounds to me much like the poorly-named Alaska Defense Fund wherein they state they will not accept money from such entities. However, the ADF has no laws it *has* to follow in that regard. It can take money from whomever it wants, in truth. These "limits" are not regulatory and therefore could easily be set aside should the "response be overwhelming", for instance. In fact, a corporation can send money in the names of 100 employees, let's say, and as far as the ADF is concerned that money came from 100 people, not a company. It's so obvious and easy as to how to circumvent its self-imposed limits that it's ludicrous to even announce them. Since both funds are associated with Palin and given her past performance in saying A then doing B, instead, I find it impossible to believe there is not going to be a great deal of chicanery going on in how the money is donated and listed.
I'm glad to see a complaint has been filed for the ADF for in reading it and the statutes it lists as violated it appears they have a solid case. Maybe Sarah will next get up a Defense Fund for the Alaska Defense Fund. What fun! Maybe when she accepts the money she can wear some of those nice RNC clothes she was going to donate to charity (but somehow has never gotten around to doing after all this time).
She opened this up to public discussion, and made it clear that these are one time funds. The legislature represents the people, so she can't ignore the process that they went through. Now that the public knows that these are one time funds, she will do her part to make sure that the moeny does not grow govt. She is rejecting the portion that mandates state change based on federal requirements.
Obama rigged this and she's following people's will n all that. But, she should know and you and I know that this is not free money and she should have at least put up a token fight for it. At least Sanford reiterated free market principles and didn't go down without a fight. I defended Sarah against a Politico piece saying she did a turnabout in less than 24 hours. Guess, I was wrong.
Oh Dear -Sarah is spending her contribution money on Twitters in America as her "roots".
Here we go. Instead of returning to Alaska to Govern She is turning to her Pacs in America to support her four year run for something she will never be able to do again in Alaska.
She can't run the 3rd smallest State, stay focused on her family and is not educated.
How is she going to get through the 2010 Alaska Governor's election without another embarrasment?
She'll resign to run for some national office, -but without her Party in control there are no real jobs for her so they will make her chair of something like the Republican Youth Movement.
The whole family will move to a McMansion in Kansas and we will sing happy trails as we can get a Governor to Govern Alaska instead of avoid Governing!
She has had 6 Cabinet meetings in her career!
The last time she was in Juneau she left the third floor once to berate some R-legislative staff member for copying an derogatory article.
SarahAmerica/In_Sarah_We_Trust/AKReport - do all of you realize that you are the same person?
whynot, I sorta envisioned the Sarah 3 as 3 sisters living in the same house. They do write the same, and in an eerie sort of way seem more like disciples of some sort of cult, the guru of course being Sarah Palin. I trust in you oh dear master, I believe in you master. Master, you are so wise and always know best. Now you want be to go under the bus for you? SURE!
whynot, try this: respond to something they say directly, and see how they respond. It's fun, a new game. TAC believes these are computer-generated threads, but I think there's a real person back there. Helloooooo? Anybody home?
I think Dognabber and Dogwatcher are the same. Might even include Dobieman with them.
Funny how those three always "happen" to post comments within a couple minutes of each other.
So, if you are the same person with multiple personalities, does that allow you to give multiple donations of $150 to the "Alaska Fund Trust"? Do you get to vote multiple times?
And do next we get In_Rush_We_Trust, RushAmerica, and OCReport (a.k.a. OxyContinReport)?
In the spirit of the actual news here, I find it ironic that mandating minimum energy codes, in those places where there is authority to adopt building codes, is what our governor find objectionable. There certainly seems more ways around this stipulation than there is room to use federal money in place of state funds, which is a concept that she floated earlier.
Yes, I think Dognabber and Dogwatcher are the same!
I'm glad to see that Sarah is trying to hold the reins on some of this spending. It has to be hard with everyone wanting their chunk of it and not thinking about the future. I appreciate her wisdom and restraint....too bad the legislature can't act with a bit more restraint!
Save all your money Dermott,we'll want you to pay your share of the stimulus and the carryover from having to keep these programs funded. Maybe you can work some overtime to help alittle more with the debt.
@ SarahAmerica et al.: "She opened this up to public discussion, and made it clear that these are one time funds."
You three do understand that this isn't Sarah's money, don't ya'll? Also, she didn't open it up for public discussion. The public opened it up for public discussion. The legislature helped, sure, but the main discussions about the stimulus package happened online, in these kinds of forums.
I'd save in the bank for when Washington DC runs out of stimulus money, so we can pay the mortgage on the USA.
You know, I would've thought that buildings in Alaska were more energy efficient than homes Outside.
We need homes and offices that'll hold in the warmth during the winter.
Palin accepted this money because it would have made her LOOK BAD if she had not. She doesn't give a Damn about Alaska, just her future political ambitions.
When she was running for Governor she would never commit to a position on controversial issues. The reason as we have ALL witnessed is she doesn't CARE about the issues just how she can USE them.
And US...
Who wants govt. to require "certfied" (ie. union) insulation installer on your new cabin?
Grass usually has a lot more roots.
Frogs have toes
Those must be government frogs........there's a sucker on the end of each toe!
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